This mower is a classic example of claiming to be a pro in all four features offered, but really isn't very good at any of them. I bought this mower and paid the hefty premium in price over a Honda-powered Husquvarna to have the added feature of a small wood chipper. Well, that feature works, but not very well. It chips small branches, but they spray everywhere out of the bottom of the mower even when following the instructions of having the catch bag attached. The most disappointing feature is its rear wheel drive system, which can't handle slight inclines. And, I was shocked when, in mulch mode, the mower did not cut my lawn evenly. My old John Deere JS63 (which I replaced with the Masport) did a better job evenly cutting the grass. Unless you really want the extra feature of a wood chipper, go with another mower dedicated to mulching your lawn with a strong drive system and good consumer reviews.

Review Amended on 6/1/2015:

It has been a while since you originally contacted me about the Masport mower I purchased from Mowers Direct two years ago. At the time I wrote my review, which was negative, the mower had a number of issues. I am happy to say that, thanks to the outstanding product support of Masport’s US distributor based in NC, Seago International, and with the direct assistance provided by Scott Sweeney, President of Seago International, the issues I had with the mower were all resolved to my satisfaction. The drive system operates perfectly now, thanks to a new drive belt and Quad-cut blade, all supplied at no additional charge by Seago. I would like to amend my original recommendation for this mower from three to five stars and from a “not recommend/not buy again” to a “recommend/buy again” as the mower now operates as advertised and has fulfilled, if not surpassed, my expectations. The unique wood chipper function is the reason I purchased this mower over the others, I am now quite pleased and feel that the mower was well worth the purchase price. I would also like to add that my concerns about purchasing the mower online have been fully allayed as a result of the high quality of support I received from Seago and Scott.

This mower is a classic example of claiming to be a pro in all four features offered, but really isn't very good at any of them. I bought this mower and paid the hefty premium in price over a Honda-powered Husquvarna to have the added feature of a small wood chipper. Well, that feature works, but not very well. It chips small branches, but they spray everywhere out of the bottom of the mower even when following the instructions of having the catch bag attached. The most disappointing... more

I am sorry that you are not completely satisfied with your Masport Mower. I have a few suggestions that may help with the performance issue you are having:

1. Spray from Chipper: The best way to fix this is to put the mower all the way down. When the mower is at its lowest setting, you will find that the majority of the debris does go into the rear bag.
2. Cut quality, particularly when mulching: The first thing to check is the sharpness of the blade – that can make a big difference in the quality of cut. Your local mower shop can sharpen the blade for just a few dollars. Another thought is to go with the optional Quad-Cut blade system. It is four smaller blades attached to a central disc. While you don’t see many of these systems here in the U.S., they are popular with European models. Also, the four cutting blades could be more helpful if you are primarily mulching with this mower. The part number for this accessory is M783485 and if you contact me directly I will send one to you.
3. Drive System: Possible solutions here depend on the type of issue you are having.
a. If the slipping is due to lack of traction from the wheels, you may want to back off on the speed. This is a variable speed mower and slowing it down a bit will help with wheel traction and increase cut quality. I will admit that the traction of the wheels on this mower are fair, but not the best.
b. If the lack of traction is due to the gearbox not providing traction, then I think the issue is in the cable. Down the clutch cable from the variable speed control lever is a mechanism that will tighten up the traction grab without having to adjust anything at the gearbox. Try opening that separator a bit and see if you don’t get better engagement from the gearbox.

Andrew, I hope the above information helps. I want you to be pleased with your purchase.

This is a piece of junk! I have had better mowers at half the price. Have owned it two months and have had it back to the dealer three times today. It won't run. When it has run it is heavy and hard to handle. The ergonomics are all wrong. The chipper is a joke. I guess those Kiwis are suckers ( I sure am). I just want my money back so I can go buy a good mower. It is only two months old. Don't buy this piece of junk!!

Cons:Expensive, Low Quality, Heavy, Unreliable

Pat Does Not Recommend This Mower

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2111

Clayton S.Monticello, IN

Purchased 3/30/14

19 Helpful Votes

REVIEWED

APR.

09

2014

Fantastic Mower

I have used this mower to mulch, bag and chip branches and all functions work very well. I have owned the expensive Hondas and Toros and while they are fantastic mowers as well, the Masport stands second to none. I'm not sure what the other reviewer did with his mower, but if you use the chipper properly (with the mower set at the lowest setting) you will not have debris flying everywhere, the bag picks up everything you chip. The mower cuts, mulches and bags just as well as the big name mowers, and the cut is very clean and even when used properly. The self propel feature on this mower is very easy to use and works extremely well and is very easy to get use to. Add in the Briggs engine with throttle control and this mower is top notch.

I have used this mower to mulch, bag and chip branches and all functions work very well. I have owned the expensive Hondas and Toros and while they are fantastic mowers as well, the Masport stands second to none. I'm not sure what the other reviewer did with his mower, but if you use the chipper properly (with the mower set at the lowest setting) you will not have debris flying everywhere, the bag picks up everything you chip. The mower cuts, mulches and bags just as well as the big name... more